SPI recently participated in the final consortium meeting (10th September) and final conference (11th–12th September) of the Horizon 2020 initiative, SPARCS, in Espoo, Finland. SPI was represented by consultants Ivan Sá Vieira, Thiago Monteiro, and Nino Lima Gomes.
At the consortium meeting, SPI took a leading role in discussions related to Work Package 1 (WP1), presenting key findings and methodologies from deliverables such as D1.3 – Standardized Implementation Strategy for Energy Solutions on PED, D1.5 – Recommendations for Integrating PED in Strategic and Political City Instruments, and D1.10 – Social Engagement Tools and Procedures.
During the first day of the SPARCS final conference, open discussions were a highlight, focusing on topics such as “The Role of Positive Energy Districts in Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities,” and exploring synergies with other initiatives, namely through the discussion panel “Smart and Sustainable Cities and Projects Sharing Stories.”
On the second day, SPI’s team attended various workshops, gathering insights on themes like “Monitoring and Evaluation” and “New European Bauhaus (NEB) – Does NEB Make a Difference and Can It Contribute to Climate Neutrality?”. SPI also participated in the second site visit to the Sello shopping centre, which served as a pilot for Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) solutions. The visit showcased innovative systems, including features form the virtual power plant and smart building energy management such as the storage system, district heating system, and local photovoltaic plant, as well as the electric bus charging stations.
SPI extends its thanks to all partners, peers and the city of Espoo for making this great learning and sharing experience possible.
